Patches are Making a Splash

Banknote security is an undisputable must. But what are the developing trends in banknote security, and how are industry suppliers meeting these challenges?

In the 1990s, when surface-applied optically variable features (primarily holographic) were appearing on banknotes, the vast majority were patches. Over the years, they have been supplanted by stripes (along with windowed threads). Today, of the 245 current denominations with an applied stripe or patch with optically variable effects, 70% are the former, and 30% the latter. But of the 13 new banknotes issued in 2024 with a stripe or patch, it was more evenly split with seven featuring a stripe, and six a patch.

So is the pendulum beginning to swing back again? We had a chat with Clemens Berger, Chairman of the Management Board of Louisenthal, to get an insight on these trends.

He told us ’there is a strong and growing demand toward intuitive and attractive banknote security. We know that technological solutions at third and second level help protect banknotes from sophisticated counterfeiters. But for the public, to authenticate and stop counterfeits at first pass, Louisenthal believes security with inbuilt attraction is a must’.